What to See in Sanshui

In Sanshui, in addition to its rich water resources, there are also traditional Chinese culture, studies of Buddhism and Zen, lifestyles for longevity and simple farming culture. These cultures infiltrate into people's lives in the form of scenic spot protection and daily customs, and constitute an important element of the Sanshui culture.

If you haven’t been to Sanshui before, why don’t you follow this path, where you can travel while learning Sanshui in multiple aspects.

Sanshui Forest Park

Sanshui Forest Park is a place full of greenery all year round, with 70% of green forest area. It is known as a rare piece of jasper in the Pearl River Delta. Walking through the forest park, wherever you look, you can see the colors of nature.

Places with beautiful landscapes usually attract literati and develop cultures, and forest park is no exception. The largest Confucianism and traditional Chinese cultural education base in South China - Kong Sheng Yuan is in here. The whole Kong Sheng Yuan was built on the hillside. And the layout was nicely designed.

According to the information, during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, a Confucian temple was built in the old county in Sanshui to commemorate Confucius. At that time, the Confucian temple and the government school were built together, so it was called the Sanshui Xuegong (Palace for study). It was a public place for worshiping saints, setting up schools and sightseeing in the past dynasties, but later it was destroyed in the war. In 1994, Kong Sheng Yuan was rebuilt.

There is a strong Confucian style here. The Hunli Hall is used to exhibit the carved pictures of the filial deeds of the ancients, to educate people to respect the elderly and filial piety. And Shili Hall is used to show the carved pictures of people who studied hard in the old days, to encourage students to work hard.

Inside the Dacheng Hall are enshrined statues of Confucius and his 72 disciples. Each of them has a lifelike and vivid expression. Being in the hall would make you feel like you had returned to more than 2,500 years ago and attended one of the Confucius’s classes.

Inside the Halls

In addition, there are magnificent chime performance and unique tea art appreciation in Juxing Building. Visitors can relax and enjoy tea while enjoying music. The Forest Park also regularly organizes traditional activities such as first writing ceremony, coming-of-age ceremony, thanksgiving ceremony, Han-style wedding ceremony, Confucian forum.

First writing ceremony

The first writing ceremony is held when a kid is going to attend school for the first time. Confucius is known a knowledgeable man in China. Therefore, some kids will wear the traditional outfit (optional) and try calligraphy as a way of getting enlightenment. The Confucian culture exhibition hall in Dacheng Square in Kong Sheng Yuan has the characteristic products of Confucian culture. It also rents and sells traditional clothing.

Coming-of-age ceremony

The coming-of-age ceremony began in the Zhou Dynasty. When young men and women have reached a certain age, in the old days this ceremony was held to show the young men and women had become adults and were eligible to participate in various activities within the clan. Now this ceremony is held to show they are grown and mature enough to take responsibilities for themselves

Thanksgiving ceremony

Filial piety and respect are highly spoken in China. This simple ceremony is to let students and children express their gratitude to their parents and teachers.

Han-style wedding ceremony

the newlyweds perform three prayers (paying respect to Heaven and Earth, paying respect to ancestors, paying respect to each other) - the newlyweds eat meat from the same bowl, indicating the beginning of a shared life - the newlyweds drink with the nuptial cup - a few hairs are cut off from the newlyweds and tied together - the newlyweds hold hands - the newlyweds exchange wedding gifts - the whole ceremony is complete.

Benhuan Temple

Besides the traditional Confucian culture, there is also Benhuan Temple, which is inside Sanshui Forest Park. In Benhuan Temple you can understand the better meaning of Buddhism and Zen. Formerly known as Jile Temple, it was the first temple in the country that was named after a contemporary eminent monk.

From the outside, the temple is just a very ordinary and small temple with a layout like a courtyard. After entering the temple, standing in the middle of the courtyard and looking around, you can see the entire temple building.

Stringed plucked instrument meditation classes, calligraphy classes and other activities are sometimes held in the temple. Even if you are not a believer, you can gain knowledge and peace here.

Unconsciously, the tranquility and cool atmosphere of the temple can help us slow down our pace, with the slow rhythm, and evenly adjust our breathing.

Opposite the Benhuan Temple, there is a big Buddha statue lying on the mountain and facing the water with a stretched and calm posture, and a soft and serene expression. Taking the Reclining Buddha of Dunhuang in the prosperous Tang Dynasty as a model, the Buddha is 108 meters long, which is the largest in the world. Now it has been transformed into a large reclining Buddha wrapped in red copper, becoming a golden reclining Buddha.

Sanshui Qiaoxin Ecological Park

Leaving the forest park and heading north to Sanshui Qiaoxin Ecological Park, here, you can get close to nature, learn about agriculture, and pick fruits and try them fresh!

Qiaoxin Ecological Park is lush with plants with fragrance of flowers and fruits, and butterflies dancing and birds singing, exuding a rich atmosphere of ecological pastoral. There are also exquisite architectures with unique Lingnan characteristics, with small bridges and flowing water. It’s a place in the classic water town style.

Sanshui Qiaoxin Ecological Park has specially set up popular science exhibition hall, herb garden, bonsai garden, farmhouse, animal watching area, fruit garden, ancient tree garden and other attractions.  

Dozens of melons including pumpkins, snake gourds, feidie melons etc. are hanging on the bamboo shelves in the science exhibition hall. There are also different fruits and vegetables at different seasons, such as sweet and sour loquats, blueberries, longans, watermelons, pears, strawberries with high nutritional value... Fresh fruits are constantly growing throughout the year! In the park, kids can also feed goats and interact with small animals.

After watching interesting animals and plants, it is meal time! Shiyue Restaurant in the Qiaoxin Ecological Park is where you can regain your energy. Shiyue restaurant uses the transparent design of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the soft natural light makes the dining environment cozy and neat. Sitting in it, eating delicious food and looking at the beautiful scenery outside the window will be very pleasant. The ingredients are all organic green foods produced by the Ecological Park, which are healthy and fresh.

Changqi Ancient Village

Speaking of the ancient village of Changqi, longevity would be the first impression of many people. Indeed, Changqi Village has a long life - more than 650 years of history, and so do its people. The villagers live a happy life. Walking in the village you are likely to feel its leisure lifestyle.

Changqi Village has the beautiful Wenbi Mountain, a long-standing ancestral hall, and an antique bookstore, all of which are well known. Besides these, Changqi Village also has a rich farming culture. Although the young generations have gone to the cities for a living, the agricultural tools on display in the Farming Cultural Center of Changqi Ancient Village quietly tell the work of the farmers in the past.

These farm tools were all handmade from bamboo and wood. In the lights, what is illuminated is the hard work and wisdom of the former farmers. Without raincoats, farmers weaved their own coir raincoats and worked in the fields. They irrigated the fields with water trucks. After the harvest, they used bamboo rakes to dry the grain on the ground and used grain sieves to remove weeds. The museum also displays the houses of farmers in the old days. A wooden bed, a dressing table and a few small chairs were all the furniture the farmers had. If you have time and would love to visit, maybe you can have a quick test for yourself about how many farming tools that were polished by hands do you know, and what they were for.

Lubao Hot Spring

At Lubao Hot Springs next to Changqi Village, you can wash away the whole day's fatigue. Lubao Hot Spring is an underground hot spring with abundant reserves. The spring water is clear, pure and warm. The water quality is metasilicic acid and rich in more than 20 mineral elements such as iron, calcium carbonate and magnesium. Soak yourself in the warm hot spring, the steaming mist can relieve the tense nerves, and make you sweat, which help clear the waste inside your body. The park is also equipped with hydrotherapy massage, fish therapy, sweat steaming, wet steaming, mineral sand and other facilities for relaxation.

When it’s dinner time, why not try the local Boji meal. Young people probably haven’t heard of Boji meal. Boji meals originated in the old days when local people went out to work together and took out their food to share on banana leaves when they had a break. Boji meal symbolizes sharing and reunion, and is also the embodiment of farming culture.

Lubao Hot Spring brings back the Boji meal by using bamboo pan as the plate, and fresh lotus leaves as the bottom. A variety of attractive delicacies are put on the lotus leaves, nutritious and healthy.

Boji meal usually contains seafood from the nearby rivers in Sanshui, free-range chicken bred in Changqi, celery, kudzu, choy sum, taro, sweet potato, corn and other coarse grains, which are rich in fiber.  

After a whole day’s entertainment, it’s time to call it a night. Lubao Hot Spring has luxurious pool rooms and duplex three-bedroom villas. Right after enjoying the hot spring, you can fall asleep in the bed and have sweet dreams. How amazing is that?

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